April 9, 2013
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University football Head Coach Bobby Wilder hired Jeff Comissiong to fill the position of assistant head coach/defensive line coach, Wilder announced on Tuesday.
"Everyone associated with Old Dominion football is excited to welcome Jeff Comissiong to our family. Jeff was most recently the defensive line coach at Boston College where he helped develop one of the best groups in the nation at the BCS level," Wilder said. "Statistically BC was good on defense and especially at defensive line. Jeff has recruited and developed a number of players in his six years at BC that have gone on to the NFL. We are fortunate to have him join our staff."
Comissiong spent the last six years as defensive line coach at Boston College as well as having an integral part in special teams. During his tenure at BC, the Eagles led the ACC in rush defense three times and led the country in rush defense in 2010, finished second in 2007. Comissiong and the Eagles ranked fifth in the country in defense in 2008 and finished 13th in 2010.
"I am honored to be joining the Old Dominion family and the football program. I have followed with great interest the progress that has been made by Old Dominion football from afar and it is truly remarkable. A 38-10 record and the transition to FBS and C-USA in only four years has me even more excited to get started," Comissiong said. "It is obvious to me the program has tremendous support from both the University and the community. Work will begin immediately in helping our student-athletes achieve at the highest level on and off the field."
While at Boston College, Comissiong placed a pair of defensive linemen on the ACC All-Conference team in 2007 and 2008 and defensive linemen B.J. Raji (Green Bay Packers) and Ron Brace (New England Patriots) were taken in the first two rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft. Damik Scafe, another defensive tackle coached by Comissiong at BC, is currently on the roster for the San Diego Chargers.
Before joining BC, Comissiong spent two years at Harvard, helping the Crimson to the No. 1 ranked defense in the Ivy league and also finishing first in sacks while leading the country in tackles for loss and sacks and coming in second in the country in run defense.
Prior to his time at Harvard, he rejoined the staff at Maine, coaching the defensive line for five years. Comissiong helped the Black Bears to back-to-back conference championships and advancing to the FCS Quarterfinals in both seasons.
He started his collegiate coaching career at Maine in 1996 and was in charge of the defensive ends for three seasons, helping the defense set a school record 51 sacks in a season while Todd Williamson set the single-season record for sacks in a season with 13. Following his stint at Maine, he joined the staff at Bates College for three years where he was the defensive line coach as well as the strength and conditioning coach.
Comissiong was a four-year letterwinner at linebacker for Maine.